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Sierra Spaceis joining Rocket Lab as a current or formerly VC - backed space society to land a major satellite deal with the armed services .
The Space Development Agency ( SDA ) pick out Sierra , along with Lockheed Martin and L3Harris , to build up 54 satellites in deals conjointly worth $ 2.5 billion . The news , announced today , follows news from last week thatRocket Lab set down a similar contract for up to $ 515 million .
The award , as well as Rocket Lab ’s , show that more and more companies are look to take a fade of a market that until now had been the exclusive arena of defense primes : military orbiter . Most recently , Sierra closed a$290 million Series B roundthat rocket its valuation to $ 5.3 billion .
The 54 satellites will form part of the SDA ’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture , a massive projectile detection and tracking constellation in depleted Earth orbit that ’s being built and launched in “ tranche . ” The trio of contracts announce today is for 18 planet each in the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer : L3Harris ’s award is worth $ 919 million ; Lockheed Martin , $ 890 million ; and Sierra Space , $ 740 million .
“ We ’re pleased to welcome Sierra Space , a new entrant as a meridian vender on Team SDA , as we continue work with L3Harris and Lockheed Martin on Tranche 2 , ” SDA director Derek Tournear said in astatement . “ The marketplace is responding to the demand signaling for our spiral development model . The quick response across the space industriousness is critically crucial as we deliver to the warfighter this no - fail commission capability of missile warning , missile trailing , and projectile defense reaction . ”
The 54 satellites will consist of 48 dedicate to projectile detection and trailing and 6 to projectile defense . All will be equipped with infrared detector , though the sensor on the six birds dedicated to missile defence will be capable of generating what the SDA call “ fire mastery - quality rails , ” which are sensitive enough to guide an interceptor to bring down an assaulter ’s missile .
While Lockheed and L3Harris have an established track phonograph record pull ahead satellite fabrication contracts with the SDA , this is the first honour of this variety for Sierra Space . The latter company is best love for its Dream Chaser spaceplane and Orbital Reef private space post project , rather than satellite fabrication at plate .
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The satellites are anticipate to plunge no later than April 2027 .
